JP3067467B2 - Seal structure at the mouth of manifold in semiconductor manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus such as a CVD apparatus for forming a semiconductor single crystal on a material wafer, and more particularly to a manifold for supplying gas to a reaction furnace of the apparatus. The improvement of the seal structure at the mouth.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional front view showing the structure of a conventional CVD apparatus, wherein an inner process chamber 2 surrounded by a frame 1 is shown.
In the figure, a heater section is defined on the upper right side, and a clean unit section 4 is defined on the upper left side. 5 is a reaction furnace, 7 is a clean unit, 8 is a quartz board for storing a wafer, 9 is a handler for operating the quartz board 8, and an elevating device 10 reacts the quartz board 8. The furnace 1 is inserted into the furnace 5, lowered after processing, and taken out.
The seal shutter device 12 opens and closes the bottom opening 18 of the first unit. A robot 13 and a carrier stage 14 are provided on the left side of the diagram of the handler 9.

[0003]

When the CVD apparatus having the above structure is used, the inside of the frame is made dust-free and the reaction furnace 5 is used.
A required gas such as H ₂ is supplied to the inside through a joint 25 of the manifold 11. By the way, a vacuum pump for the reaction furnace 5 provided around the manifold 11, a joint 25 as a gas supply port used for wafer processing and a joint 25 'of a thermocouple for temperature control are used for work. It is manually operated for switching back and forth, cleaning or repairing, and each time a great effort is made in management, such as exhausting the process chamber, evacuating it, refilling it, and paying careful attention to avoid bringing in dust. Was required. Therefore, the manifold 1
There has been a demand for a shield structure at the mouth of the manifold 11 which enables easy alignment of the shield at the mouth of the mouth 1 with the quartz boat 8 which can be moved up and down by the elevating device 10. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a seal structure at an opening of a manifold in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus which solves such a problem (request).

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is arranged horizontally outside an outer peripheral surface of a mouth of a manifold provided as a gas supply means for a reaction furnace in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. A seal plate having a seal material on an inner peripheral portion thereof for sealing a gap between an outer peripheral surface of an opening of the manifold and an inner peripheral portion of the seal plate; -An intermediate chamber sealed from the frame, the frame and the manifold A, the manifold B and the frame. In this case, it is preferable that the seal plate is formed in an annular shape, and an O-ring is mounted as a seal material in a groove provided in an inner peripheral portion thereof.

[0005]

The above joints are handled in the intermediate room in which the seal plate according to the present invention is mounted on the frame and sealed between the opening of the manifold and the process room is kept intact. In addition, since the O-ring as a seal material provided on the seal plate is positioned horizontally, the inclination of the manifold is slightly increased due to a manufacturing error caused by the sheet metal working of the frame. And vertical displacement is easily absorbed.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to an embodiment shown in FIGS. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional front view of an embodiment of a CVD apparatus having a seal structure at a mouth portion of a manifold according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion A in FIG. Are given the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 and 2, a furnace wall 5a of a reactor 5 is fixed to a substantially horizontal frame 1a, an outer tube 15 is held by a ring 16 and a manifold A portion 11a, and an inner tube 17 is a manifold. (The manifold 11 is held in the A section 11a and the manifold B section 11b).
The opening 18 of the manifold B portion 11b is opened and closed by a manifold cap 19 operated by the seal shutter device 12. Reference numeral 22 denotes a seal plate, and reference numeral 23 denotes an O-ring as a seal material disposed on an inner peripheral portion which is a mounting portion of the seal plate 22, and a manifold at an opening 20 of the manifold 11. A seal plate 22 bolted to a substantially horizontal frame 1b via a packing (not shown) is engaged with an outer peripheral surface 21 of the shield B portion 11b via an O-ring 23, and a seal plate is formed. 22, an intermediate chamber 24 sealed by the frames 1a and 1b and the manifold A section 11a and the manifold B section 11b is formed.

Here, a seal play, which is an essential part of the present invention, is used.
The structure of the gate 22 will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the seal plate 22, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, for example, the seal plate 22 is provided with a plurality of bolt through holes 22a along the outer periphery of the annular outer shape, and the inner diameter D at the center is the manifold B.
A groove 22b, which is slightly larger than the diameter of the outer peripheral surface 21 of the portion 11b and is thicker at the inner diameter and has a tongue-shaped cross section, is formed, and an O-ring 23 as a seal material is mounted in the groove 22b. ing.

In the above configuration, the various joints 25 and 25 'attached to the manifold 11 can be operated by a human hand independently of the process chamber 2 as shown in FIG. Also, a slight inclination of the manifold 11 due to a manufacturing error of the frames 1a and 1b of the sheet metal work,
A vertical dimensional error between the memories 1a and 1b can be absorbed by the O-ring 23.

[0009]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following excellent effects. Since an intermediate chamber sealed between the heater and the process chamber is configured, manual operation of various joints to the reactor can be performed freely in the intermediate chamber through which outside air passes. . The seal plate is detachable, and the slight inclination of the manifold and the vertical position error are absorbed by the presence of a seal material such as an O-ring mounted on the inner periphery thereof. Alignment with the quartz boat which moves up and down can be easily performed, and the disassembly and maintenance of the manifold itself become easy, and the management of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment becomes extremely easy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional front view showing an embodiment of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having a seal structure at an opening of a manifold according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion A in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a seal plate according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional front view showing a main structure of a conventional CVD apparatus.

[Description of Signs] 2: Process chamber 3: Heater part 5: Reactor 11: Manifold 20: Port part 21: Outer peripheral surface 22: Seal plate 23: O-ring 24: Intermediate chamber

Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-4-269825 (JP, A) JP-A-1-200626 (JP, A) JP-A-3-16121 (JP, A) JP-A-6-216054 (JP) , A) Japanese Utility Model Hei 4-25234 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Utility Model 64-6427 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01L 21/205 H01L 21/22 H01L 21/31 C23C 16/44

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A seal plate horizontally disposed outside an outer peripheral surface of a mouth of a manifold (11) provided as a gas supply means for a reaction furnace in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.
The seal plate (22) is provided with a seal material on an inner peripheral portion thereof to seal a gap between the outer peripheral surface of an opening portion of the manifold (11). , The seal plate (22), the frame (1b) and the manifold A
(11a), a manifold (B) (11b), and an intermediate chamber sealed by the frame (1a). Seal structure. 2. The seal plate (22) is formed in an annular shape, and an O-ring (23) is mounted as a seal material in a groove provided on an inner peripheral portion of the seal plate (22). 2. A seal structure at an opening of a manifold in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to 1.